Image processing device and terminal device using application programming interface corresponding to specific function

Abstract

An image processing device acquires a selection instruction to select one of a plurality of functions; and determines whether an operation mode is in a simulation mode in which a specific function is executed according to an instruction from a terminal device, which stores a virtual application program and a virtual service program used for the virtual application program. The device executing, in a case of determining that the operation mode is not the simulation mode, a first function executing process to execute the selected function by: activating the application program corresponding to the selected function, and executing, in a case of determining that the operation mode is the simulation mode, a second function executing process to execute the specific function by: inhibiting activation of the application program; publishing an API corresponding to the specific function; and acquiring an instruction for executing the specific function from the virtual application program.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An image processing device comprising:
 hardware including at least one of an image forming unit and an image reading unit; 
 a communication unit; 
 a processor; and 
 a memory storing:
 a plurality of service programs to control the hardware; 
 a plurality of application programs to realize a plurality of functions by operating the hardware via the service programs, the plurality of functions differing from each other; and 
 computer readable instruction, when executed by the processor, causing the image processing device to perform:
 acquiring a selection instruction to select one function of the plurality of functions; 
 determining whether an operation mode is a simulation mode in which a specific function is executed in accordance with an execution instruction from a terminal device, the terminal device storing a virtual application program and a virtual service program, the virtual application program being correlated with the specific function among the plurality of functions, and the virtual service program being used for the virtual application program, 
 executing, in a case of determining that the operation mode is not the simulation mode, a first function executing process to execute the selected function by:
 activating the application program corresponding to the function selected by the acquired selection instruction; and 
 causing the activated application program to operate the hardware via the service program, and 
 
 executing, in a case of determining that the operation mode is the simulation mode, a second function executing process to execute the specific function by:
 inhibiting the activating of the application program in response to acquisition of the selection instruction to select the specific function; 
 publishing an Application Programming Interface (API) corresponding to the specific function; 
 acquiring an execution instruction of the specific function, which is issued from the virtual application program of the terminal device via the virtual service program, via the API; and 
 operating the hardware in accordance with the acquired execution instruction, 
 wherein, in executing the second function executing process, the processor specifies the specific function based on information acquired from a management server via the communication unit, 
 
 notifying the management server of information specifying a specification of the image processing device via the communication unit, and 
 acquiring the execution instruction from the terminal device, which is converted by the management server based on a relationship between the specification of the image processing device and the specification of the terminal device. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The image processing device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the memory stores an external application program, and 
 wherein, in the executing the second function executing process, the image processing device executes the specific function by:
 activating the external application program in accordance with the acquired execution instruction; and 
 causing the activated external application program to operate the hardware via the service programs. 
 
 
     
     
       3. The image processing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the image processing device performs the determining when activated. 
     
     
       4. The image processing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the image processing device performs the determining at a predetermined timing during waiting after being activated. 
     
     
       5. The image processing device according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the executing the second function executing process, the image processing device publishes an API corresponding to the specific function among the plurality of functions and does not publish other APIs corresponding to the plurality of functions other than the specific function. 
     
     
       6. A terminal device comprising:
 a communication unit, the terminal device being able to communicate with a management server via the communication unit; 
 a processor; and 
 a memory storing:
 a virtual application program correlated with a specific function among a plurality of functions, which are provided from an image processing device, the plurality of functions differing from each other, the image processing device including a hardware that includes at least one of an image forming unit and an image reading unit and storing a plurality of service programs for controlling the hardware and a plurality of application programs for realizing the plurality of functions by operating the hardware via the service programs; 
 a virtual service program used for the virtual application program; and 
 computer readable instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the terminal device to perform:
 acquiring a list of application programming interfaces (API) published by the image processing device; 
 executing a specific function executing process to operate the hardware to execute the specific function by:
 activating the virtual application program; and 
 causing the activated virtual application program to call the API corresponding to the specific function via the virtual service program; 
 
 notifying the management server of information specifying a specification of the terminal device via the communication unit; and 
 transmitting an execution instruction to the image processing device, which is converted by the management server based on a relationship between the specification of the image processing device and the specification of the terminal device. 
 
 
 
     
     
       7. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by a computer comprising a communication unit, the computer able to communicate with a management server via the communication unit, a processor and a memory storing: a virtual application program correlated with a specific function among a plurality of functions, which are provided from an image processing device, the plurality of functions differing from each other, the image processing device including hardware that includes at least one of an image forming unit and an image reading unit and storing a plurality of service programs for controlling the hardware and a plurality of application programs for realizing the plurality of functions by operating the hardware via the service programs; a virtual service program used for the virtual application program, the instructions, when executed, cause the computer to perform:
 acquiring a list of application programming interfaces (API) published by the image processing device; 
 executing a specific function executing process to operate the hardware to execute the specific function by:
 activating the virtual application program; and 
 causing the activated virtual application program to call the API corresponding to the specific function via the virtual service program; 
 
 notifying the management server of information specifying a specification of the computer via the communication unit; and 
 transmitting an execution instruction to the image processing device, which is converted by the management server based on a relationship between the specification of the image processing device and the specification of the computer.